UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

Hudson Relay Rules, Routes, and Winners

When planning for the first race began, running from Painesville to Cleveland was proposed as the route. Quay Findley, Class of 1911 and member of the planning committee, suggested running from Hudson to Cleveland. His suggestion was accepted and, until 1990, Hudson to Cleveland, with minor variations, was the race’s route.

1950 Hudson Relay MapbyPhil Ritzenberg (Adelbert 1953)

The length of each leg was 1 mile until the 1970s, when half-mile legs began. Early rules required each runner to finish his mile unassisted and no runner could participate in more than one mile. Team sizes varied from 24 to 52, It was the custom for the class president to run the final mile, with elected team captains running the first mile. The overall length was 26 miles until 2003 when the course was changed to pass through the North Residential Village, shortening the distance to 24.5 miles.

Adding Winning Teams to Hudson Relay Rock, 1915

Adding Winning Teams to Hudson Relay Rock, 1982

Monitoring progress of the race was a constant, but the method changed over time. In the early years, people who lived along the route phoned in updates, which were recorded on a large map of the course at the steps of Adelbert Main. In 1972 WRUW, the student radio station, offered live coverage of the race using a radio car.

Winning Teams

The First 100 Years

Year

Winning Class

Year

Winning Class

Year

Winning Class

1910

1912

1947

1949

1981

1982

1911

1914

1948

1951

1982

1982

1912

1915

1949

1951

1983

1986

1913

1915

1950

1951

1984

1987

1914

1916

1951

1953

1985

1986

1915

1918

1952

1953

1986

1986

1916

1919

1954

1957

1987

1990

1918

1921

1955

1955

1988

1990

1919

1921

1956

1958

1989

1990

1920

1922

1957

1960

1990

1990

1921

1922

1959

1960

1991

1994

1922

1922

1960

1963

1992

1994

1923

1926

1961

1964

1993

1994

1924

1926

1962

1965

1994

1994

1925

1926

1963

1965

1995

1998

1926

1929

1964

1967

1996

1998

1927

1928

1965

1968

1997

2000

1928

1931

1966

1968

1998

2001

1929

1931

1967

1968

1999

2001

1930

1933

1968

1970

2000

2002

1931

1933

1969

1971

2001

2004

1932

1934

1972

1974

2002

2004

1933

1936

1973

1973

2003

2006

1934

1936

1974

Alumni

2004

2006

1935

1938

1975

Alumni

2005

2006

1938

1941

1976

1979

2006

2006

1939

1942

1977

1979

2007

2009

1940

1943

1978

1979

2008

2011

1941

1944

1979

1982

2009

2011

1942

1944

1980

1982

2010

2011

The Second 100 Years

Year

Winning Class

Year

Winning Class

Year

Winning Class

2011

2011

2012

2014

2013

2014

2014

2017

2015

2017

2016

2017

2017

2017

2018

2020

Information was compiled by staff of the Case Western Reserve University Archives, April 2010.